Electric fishing motors have enjoyed widespread usage by fresh water anglers. Electric fishing motors can propel a fishing boat over a selectively variable range of relatively leisurely speeds along virtually whatever course the fisherman desires in order to permit the fisherman selectively to troll or cast.
While the boat is being so propelled, a sportsman often must control the direction and speed of his boat in concurrence with the performance of various fishing tasks such as casting, retrieving and netting. Many of these fishing tasks require a fisherman to move from his seat and away from the motor control. Thus, electric fishing motor controls that facilitate simple, efficient and effortless control of the electrical power (the on/off function), direction and speed of the electric fishing motor are necessary for safe enjoyment of the sport.
Typically, electric fishing motors are designed with a support shaft, often also designated as the motor tube, rigidly connecting a submerged propulsion unit to a control head, with the support shaft removably attached to the boat by a mounting bracket which allows rotational movement of the support shaft. Generally a lever arm extends outwardly from the control head to function as a tiller--i.e., a means by which to effect directional control--for the submersed propulsion unit. In this way horizontal rotation of the tiller about the axis of the motor tube effects a corresponding rotation of the propulsion unit, thereby permitting the fisherman to steer the boat with relative ease. Often the motor speed control is incorporated in the tiller. That is, axial rotation of the tiller changes the speed of the electric motor in the propulsion unit. Some such fishing motors have even included an on/off switch which can be operated by axial rotation of the tiller. The majority of electric fishing motors, however, provide a separate on/off switch on the control head which must be operated wholly independently of the speed control.
However, none of the known prior electric fishing motor control heads have ever provided an integrated operation which permits the fisherman independently to select, or change, speed with a single control lever and at the same time accommodate actuation of the on/off switch with that same single lever as it continues uninterruptedly to function as a tiller.